1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cryptography, and deals more particularly with methods, systems, and program instructions for encrypting media files to deter theft of a media recording device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Media recording devices continue to evolve in terms of functionality and design, with a trend towards increased function and improved recording quality in smaller devices. Digital cameras, as one example, are becoming more compact while offering many useful features. Video cameras (also known as “camcorders”) are another example. Until recent years, personal or consumer-grade video cameras were large, cumbersome devices that displayed real-time feedback (i.e., in the eyepiece viewer) only in grayscale; these models have now been replaced with models that are relatively small and lightweight, and which display real-time feedback in full color.
Consumer-grade digital cameras and video cameras currently sell for hundreds to thousands of dollars. Their professional counterparts may sell for tens of thousands of dollars.
As devices of this type become smaller, they become easier targets for theft; as their functionality and value increase, they become more desirable targets. Once stolen, these devices may be nearly impossible to recover and return to their rightful owners.
What is needed are theft deterrent techniques for media recording devices.